What's In A Name? George Albert Smith

Story of President George Albert Smith: What have you done with my name?

"A number of years ago, I was seriously ill. . . . With my family, I went to St. George, Utah, to see if it would improve my health. . . .

"In St. George, . . . I become so weak as to be scarcely able to move. It was a slow and exhausting effort for me even to turn over in bed.

"One day, under these conditions, I lost consciousness of my surroundings and thought I had passed to the Other Side. I found myself standing with  my back to a large and beautiful lake, facing a great forest of trees. There was no one in sight. . . . I realized, or seemed to realize, that I had finished my work in mortality and had gone home. . . .

"I began to explore, and soon I found a trail through the woods which seemed to have been used very little, and which was almost obscured by grass. I followed this trail, and after I had walked for some time and had traveled a considerable distance through the forest, I saw a man coming towards me. I become aware that he was a very large man, and I hurried my steps to reach him, because I recognized him as my grandfather. . . . I remember how happy I was to see him coming. I had been given his name and had always been proud of it.

"When Grandfather came within a few feet of me, he stopped. His stopping was an invitation for me to stop. Then. . . . he looked at me very earnestly and said:

"'I would like to know what you have done with my name.'

"Everything I had ever done passed before me as though it were a flying picture on a screen--everything I had done. Quickly this vivid retrospect came down to the very time I was standing there. My whole life had passed before me. I smiled at looked at my grandfather and said:

"'I have never done anything with your name of which you need to be ashamed.'

"He stepped forward and took me in his arms,, and as he did so, I became conscious again of my earthly surroundings. My pillow was as wet as though water had been poured on it--wet with tears of gratitude that I could answer unashamed.

". . . Honor your fathers and your mothers. Honor the names that you bear, because some day you will have the privilege and the obligation of reporting to them (and to your Father in heaven) what you have done with their name."

Questions:

Where did you get your name?

Who were you named after?

Activities:

1. Have children and primary leaders and teachers wear commercial name tags.

2. Have each child decorate a name tag. You could suggest having them decorate with something unique about themselves. Nametags could be worn with a safety pin, tape, or yarn around the neck.

3. If your Primary is small, put the children's names in a container and draw them out. As each child's name is drawn, talk about them and pin the name on them.

4. Assign the children to ask their parents why their name is unique.

Appropriate Songs:

"Hello Friends!"
"Here We Are Together"

Additional Idea:

Have the children fill out a genealogy sheet